It’s absolutely normal to feel sad. Sometimes really sad. But depression is different than sadness. It goes deeper, and it’s something that you can (and should!) get help for if you’re dealing with it.
But what is depression, and how do you know if you’re depressed or just pretty sad? Doctors use a checklist to diagnose depression (yes, doctors, because it’s a medical condition!), and it’s a handy one to refer to if you think you or someone you care about might be battling depression. The nine things they look for are:
* A bummed out mood during most of the day, particularly in the morning like you can’t bear the idea of getting out of bed
* Feeling exhausted or just really sluggish almost every day
* Feeling guilty or like you don’t matter almost every day
* Not being able to concentrate or make a decision
* Gaining or losing a lot of weight
* Weird sleeping patterns, like not being able to sleep or sleeping way more than usual almost every day
* Feeling restless
* Not being able to enjoy stuff you used to really like
* Any thoughts of death or suicide
First off, if you even for a second think about hurting yourself or ending your life, STOP and call a help line like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Your life is important, even if you don’t think so right now. You do not have to face this alone.
And if you haven’t ever thought about hurting yourself, but still match up with lots of things on that list, talk to someone. Anyone. Your teacher. Your dad. A counselor or even your boss. If you are, in fact, clinically depressed, you could be feeling a lot better if you reached out and got some help. Your smile is too pretty to go into hiding like this, girl.